This invention relates to a distraction device especially adapted for use in law enforcement and military encounters in which bodily injury must be minimized. More particularly, this invention relates to a non-lethal distraction device which produces a blast and a brilliant flash of light which temporarily disorient a suspect or enemy personnel.
Hand grenades are effective offensive weapons because of their low cost, small size, and ease of operation. The standard hand grenade is made of metal and has a flask that is designed to shatter, thus producing a large number of projectiles traveling at high speed. Its purpose is to inflict maximum bodily injury. In many law enforcement and certain military encounters, it is desirable to distract or disorient opposing personnel for a period of time sufficient to enable a law enforcement or military team to mount an offensive maneuver with a minimum risk of bodily injury to all of the personnel involved. The very qualities that make a standard hand grenade effective in battle are the very ones that render the grenade unsuitable for non-lethal use.
It has been found that grenades of non-lethal distraction devices can be made by packing a cardboard container with a combustible charge that will produce an explosion and a brilliant flash of light upon detonation. The resulting audio and visual effects are of such great magnitude that personnel in proximity of the blast are stunned and temporarily disoriented. Temporary immobilization of such personnel in the target area give an attacking force an offensive advantage. Devices of this type are generally referred to as distraction devices.
A non-lethal distraction device can be fabricated from many of the same materials and parts that are used in conventional incendiary grenades. These parts include a standard M201 hand grenade fuse having a pin release and a spring-loaded handle mechanism that activate a conventional fuse material. The fuse material is a pyrotechnic material in a casing that typically weighs about 0.1 lb. It has been found that the casing can become a lethal projectile which can cause serious bodily injury when the distraction device explodes. This result is unacceptable, especially in hostage situations in which the goal is to free captive individuals without bodily harm.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for a non-lethal distraction device. The distraction device should produce a blast accompanied by a large audio effect and a brilliant flash of light. If the blast is accompanied by the production of smoke, the resulting smoke pattern should not obscure the target area after the blast. The distraction device should be of low cost, relatively easy to assemble, and capable of being made with a conventional M201 hand grenade fuse mechanism. Most of all, there is a need in the art for a distraction device in which the quantity of lethal projectiles capable of causing bodily injury is eliminated.